Excursions exempt from SSA rate hikes

Friday

The Steamship Authority board of governors on Tuesday voted to raise the price of most vehicle fares and fast ferry tickets on the Nantucket run next year to offset the skyrocketing price of fuel.

The good news for year-round Nantucketers and frequent travelers, however, is that the cost of an excursion ticket – the cheaper, round-trip vehicle fare available to year-round residents ($130 in the off-season and $180 in the summer), will remain unchanged, as will the price of a 10-ticket fast-ferry commuter book, when the new fares take effect Jan. 1, 2008.

For summer visitors and other infrequent travelers to the island, however, the cost of a one-way vehicle ticket will increase from $120 to $125 Jan. 1-March 31 and Nov. 1-Dec. 31; and from $180-$185 from April 1-Oct. 31. Passengers and drivers pay separately. The fare for commercial vehicles in excess of 40 feet will also be raised 3 percent. The cost of a one-way fast ferry ticket will also increase from $29 to $30. The commuter books will remain $240.

By comparison, a one-way ticket on the Hy-Line fast ferry costs $38, with round-trip fares $69.

SSA officials attributed the rate hikes to the high cost of fuel, which on the day of the boat line’s monthly meeting in Hyannis was trading at $88 a barrel. The fare hikes are based on an estimated cost of $90 a barrel next year.

In order to keep up with the rising fuel prices and still pay for a number of necessary capital projects totaling about $700,000, including repairs and refurbishments to three vessels that serve Nantucket – the Eagle, the Nantucket and the Gay Head – the fares had to be raised, SSA officials said.

“It’s unfortunate but out of our control,” said H. Flint Ranney, Nantucket’s representative on the boat line board of governors. “I would have preferred to have no rate increase. In fact, we thought about that. The capital work is important but it could be postponed a year. But in light of the present market, it was the fiscally responsible thing to do.”

Depending on the volatility of the petroleum market, the SSA may be forced to revisit the issue, Ranney said.

“If it goes to $100 a barrel, we’ll have to look at it again. Likewise, if it drops, we could look at the fares again,” he said.

In the past two months, the cost of a barrel of fuel oil has risen from around $70 to $88. Every $1 increase in the price of a barrel of oil sets the Steamship Authority back about $96,000 in fuel costs. The SSA is anticipating a $2 million increase in fuel costs next year over this year’s expense.

Nat Lowell, a driver for Yates Gas and the island’s representative on the SSA Port Council, chose to look on the positive side of the board’s decisions.

“We didn’t touch the excursion,” he said. “The one-way car, the trucks a little, and fast-ferry single tickets, that’s what went up. We left the coupon book alone. We sold like 800 more books this year than last year. We don’t want to mess with that.”

Ranney agreed.

“The original idea was to raise rates across the board, but I said we just raised the fast-ferry coupon book price, so let’s not raise it again. We’re already making money on it, and it’s becoming popular. My point is that the increase is still less than 3 percent. We’re keeping up with Social Security,” he said of the government’s recent decision to increase Social Security payments 2.3 percent.

“It could have been worse,” he added. “Next time, it probably will be worse. Fuel is killing us.”

In a bit of positive news, the board voted to reduce parking rates in the SSA’s Hyannis lots from $8 to $5 per calendar day from Jan. 1-March 31. The rate will increase to $10 a day in the shoulder seasons and $12 a day from May 15-Sept. 14, with the Lewis Bay Road and Yarmouth Road lots $15 a day on Fridays and Sundays only.

In other SSA news from Tuesday’s meeting:

• The board voted to give food shippers making six or more delivery trips to Nantucket in the summer priority in obtaining reservations over other food shippers earlier in the day in an attempt to alleviate traffic congestion in the downtown area. Food trucks will also be given a higher wait-list priority.

• The board voted to allow individuals serving in the active military stationed on either of the islands to be eligible for the excursion fare.

• The board voted to formalize a long-standing policy of providing emergency transportation of personnel, vehicles and other equipment belonging to the Nantucket Fire Department and Barnstable County agencies at no cost as part of their mutual aid agreement.

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